The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-30

same instant the ceiling overhead shook
and 1 heard something heavy fall upon
the floor above.
81 sprang up, but for the moment /
was in a dazed condition. from which 1
was aroused BY the sound of footsteps,
which seemed to come up the stairs
from the floor below and then to ascend
to the floor above. 1t is the fourth
floor front ledger returning late /
thought, he steps quietly as becomes
late conner That had been dream
ing l felt certain; but still it seemed
more than possible that the cries and
the pistol shot at the end of my dream
had been real, and certainly had
heard something which might have
been dead body fall on the floor
above. Could it be that Mrs. Winter
had been murdered by Leclair! Iplaced
my ear at the fireplace and listened
heard sounds as if the knob of door
was being turned, and then every thing
was silent. moved toward my door,
and as did so / heard footsteps quietly
descending the stairs from the floor
above. The footsteps passed my door,
and then heard them descending the
stairs to the floor below. l opened my
doorand. stepping softly out on the land
ing, listened. / heard the door of Le-
Glars room open.:and then shut. now
had no doubt that it was Leclair. and
that he had murdered Mrs. Winter,
either in fit of jealousy or because he
found her in his way. He looked just the
sort of man to commit a murder, /
thought. Twas about to arouse the house
and 6enounce Leclair, when it flashed
across my mind that. after all, might
have made mistake, and that Mrs.
Winter might be still alive. After
moments hesitation concluded to wait
until morning. 1 crept into bed. and
while trying to solve the strange
mystery of the cries, the pistol shot and
the heavy fall on the floor above,
fell into deep sleep.
at was late in the morning when I
awoke. While dressing myself 1 fixed
upon the course which thought it
best to pursue. was about to leave
my room when l heard some one burst
in the door of the room above mine.
An instant later loud shrieks rang
through the house. l hurried up the
stairs and entered the room. On the
floor saw the dead body of Mrs. Win
ter. There was a wound in the breast
from which had poured a stream of
blood that now lay in pool near the
body. The expression on the dead
woman's face was a peaceful one. The
fingers of her right hand were closed
over the butt of a revolver. 1 felt sure
that the murderer had placed her fin
gers there in order to make it appear
that the poor woman had committed
suicide. AS this thought struck me 1
saw Leclair enter the room. His face
was very pale, but he looked at the
corpse without fiinching and said:
Poor woman, am very sorry for
her. She has had much trouble. 1t
was more than she could bear. 1t de.
stroyed her reason and drove her to
suicide. She has been very kind to my
wife.
The landlady with a police officer
and several other persons now entered |
the room. The officer examined the |
corpse and then asked if any one pres
ent knew anything about the suicide |
beyond the fact that the body had been
found in its present condition. was |
about to denounce Leclair as the muir
derer of Mrs. Winter, when, to my sur
prise, he stepped in front of me and |
said to the officer:
81 can explain the tragedy. My
name is Leclair-Charles Leclair-''
Your name is Charlie" thought l,
land the dead woman called on Charlie
to spare her. That is the only link
in the chain of evidence"
'Ihave known Mrs. Winter for some lit
lie time. She was married to aman who
ii treated her, and finally deserted her,
taking with him their only child, to
which she was deeply attached. Since
hen the poor woman has exhausted all
Of her slender means in striving to
regain the child. Last evening Mrs.
Winter learned of the death of her
child. Her grief was intense, but she
was calm when 1 last saw her. The
blow undoubtedly unhinged her mind,
and drove her to the fatal act"
''Do you know when she fred the
shot?" asked the officer.
"1t must have been about three
o'clock this morning. replied Leclair.
My wife was very i'll last night-in
fact, she was temporarily insane, a
condition to which she is subject occa-
At such times she strives to
throw herself from the window, and
when drag her out of danger she i'm
AGNES that l am about to kill her.
Mrs. Winter was very fond of my wife,
'ver whom she had strong influence.
Mrs. Winter has several times sue
,eeded in calming my wife during her
spells. At about three
o'clock this morning my wife had one
If her bad spells. pulled her back
rom the window just in time to save
her from jumping out. She struggled
Is usual in such cases, and begged me
lot to murder her. got her into
heavy chair, where l tied her. Just
hen 1 heard sound which might have
been the explosion of a pistol, but 1
paid no attention to it at the time.
Although my wife had ceased to strug-
yle [ decided, in order TO calm her